# Gawith, Hoggarth & Co. Bob's Chocolate Flake



## Jeff10236 (Nov 21, 2010)

So, I bought some of this in a tin and I've smoked quite a few bowls of it lately.

First, the tin... They must use one heck of a vacuum sealer because I have never had so much trouble getting the lid off a tin of tobacco before. Coins and screwdrivers didn't do it. I ended up using a claw hammer to pry the lid off. Of course, after, I couldn't reuse the lid. I got it open to be greeted by a *block* of tobacco. The flakes are really stuck together, and it presents as a nice, dark, oily dark brown chunk- actually, that doesn't really make it sound appetizing. It actually looks good, good enough to eat, it looks a lot like a chunk of chocolate. The tin note has a very nice, campfire/BBQ latakia goodness, but with a little something else in there too.

Loading a bowl, the stickiness, the flakes stuck together, made it tough to take out a flake. It kind of pulled apart and you get strips of flakes. No big deal. I've packed it with a variation of the fold 'n stuff using those strips, and using the cannonball method.

It is a wet tobacco. I have to relight often, and I don't usually have to relight much.

Smoking this stuff is a real treat.

Lakeland, it is there, but not strong. When I first smoked it, I loaded it up and lit it immediately after opening the tin. This is my first Lakeland (Brown/Happy Bogie and Black Irish X don't seem to have it), and it was freshly opened, so that may have contributed to it, but at first, I _strongly_ tasted the Lakeland floral/soapy character. It was a bit of a shock and at first it was all I noticed. However, the more I smoked it, the less I tasted it (even in that first bowl), and in subsequent bowls it is barely there. For those that don't know, Lakeland is a very distinctive flavor G&H has in their tobaccos (most anyway) that is very floral/soapy, it's a bit unusual and different, yet familiar and comforting at the same time. For most, its very much a you love it or hate it thing, I'm falling into that first group (well, I like it, I don't know that I 'love' it, but I definitely like it).

The tobacco is a good quality tobacco. No bite, very mellow, yet very flavorful. After about the first third of the first bowl (after the initial shock of the Lakeland wore off), I really began to taste the chocolate quite nicely, with a little creaminess from the vanilla. The more I smoke it, the more I get the chocolate and vanilla. It really is a pretty well flavored, aromatic tobacco, but it is far more complicated in flavors than most aros.

This is definitely becoming a favorite. It is very good stuff, very interesting, multidimensional, and quite unusual tobacco. Probably the best of the chocolate tobaccos (I say probably since I haven't had anywhere near all of them or even most of them to do a definite comparison).

Would I recommend it? The Lakeland means it isn't for everyone. If you have had G&H tobaccos and hate Lakeland, do not try this, even if you like chocolate tobaccos. The Lakeland isn't strong, but it is there. If you like Lakelands, this is a very good tobacco. If you haven't had a Lakeland before and you are curious, this is a good one to start with since it is relatively mild and doesn't knock you over with the Lakeland essence, and really rewards you with some delicious chocolate, tobacco, and vanilla.


----------



## BrewShooter (Mar 17, 2011)

Great review! I must add, which I've done elsewhere, the G&H tins seem REALLY hit or miss with the seals. I've had two tins of Bob's Chocolate Flake and neither one was sealed. Because of that, the tobacco wasn't overly moist or have much Lakeland scent in the tin, but the tobacco smoked great. On the other hand, I have a tin of Ennerdale that has a vacuum pulled on it that looks like it was done with some super industrial machine, the tin is almost caved in on itself!


----------



## funbags (Jan 19, 2011)

One of the first tins i ever bought.All time favorite. sadly i have strayed away for a while due to really opening up my tobacco journey to others. Never really noticed a tin problem due to smoking the blend way to fast to notice!


----------



## asmartbull (Aug 16, 2009)

I would be curious to hear how this compares
to the English Chocolate from Two Friends...


----------

